Well-drilling machine



March 24, 1936.

F. R. STOLL WELL DRILLING' MACHINE Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheetl lATTORNEY' Mann 24, 1936.

F. R. STOLL WELL DRILLING MACHINE Filed oct. s, 1954 I 11 vll 1 3Sheets-Sheet 2 @agee/aw@ March 24, 19H36. R. STQLL 2,035,350

WELL DRILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 3, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORATTORNEY Patented Mar. 24, 1936 IUNITEDr STATES PATENT ,o1-Flca} "Zlm.....ff Application Ofbcr 3, 1934, Sellll N0. 746,746

7 clam. y(ci. ass-4) This invention relates to well-drilling machineryand especially to that type oi.' drilling apparatus in which the bit isoperated by electromagnetic means. One object of the present inventionis to provide means whereby the cuttings will be caught and removed fromthe drilled hole, and means are provided to prevent access of thecuttings to the electromagnetic elements. Another object of theinvention is to provide a novel automatic valve at the lower end of thedrill tube, and it is also an object of the invention to simplify theconstruction and arrangement of the parts to the end that the emciencyof the apparatus may be increased. An apparatus embodying the inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafterfully described, the novel features being particularly defined inthe lappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the welldrilling apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the bailer and the upper endof the inner shell.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section through the solenoids.

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sections showing different positionsof the valve.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-5 of Figure 2.

' 30 Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2. y

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a wiring diagram of the well drilling apparatus.

Figure 10 is a detail of a switch.

In the practice of the invention, there is provided an outer shell ortubing I that is let down in the drilled hole 2. At its upper end, theedge of the shell I is bent inwardly, as at 3, and is secured upon aslightly conical flange 4 which is fixed upon an upper suspending tube 5near the lower end of said tube. At the upper extremity of the tube, abail 6 is secured thereto and said bail is rrnly attached to asuspending rod or cable, indicated at 1, which extends to the usualderrick at the mouth of the well. Disposed concentrically about thesuspending tube 5 is a bailer cylinder 8 whichis held in spaced relationto and guided on the tube by a bracing spider' 9. Both ends of thebailer cylinder are open and its lower end is flared, as shown at I0,

so that it may rest upon the inturned edge of the shell I, as shownin-Figure l, and openings II are formed in the tube at its upper end tobe used ior lifting the bailer from its seat to discharge the cuttings..As the drilling proceeds, water or other liquid in the well will beforced upward between the shell I and the wall of the well to the upperend of the bailer or cylinder 5 8- at which point the current will loseits lifting force and the sand, silt and fine cuttings carried therebywill be deposited in the bailer, although the liquid may rise to the topof the tube 5 and return through the same and the shell I to the 10bottom of thefi hole. When the bailer is filled, the Yentire, device isdrawn to the surface whereupon the-bailer is slid upward on the tube 5,as shown in Figure 2, and the entire contents will be discharged'ontothe ground, the conical for- 15 mation oi' the flange 4 expediting theoutflow of the material. The bailer is then returned to its seat on theshell I and the apparatus again low-v ered into the well for furtheroperation.

'Ihe lower end-of the suspending tube 5 is 0 flared, as at I2, below theflange 4, which forms the bottom oi.' the bailer, and at its extremityhas a radial annularA flange I3, openings I4 -being formed in the sidesof' the tube to facilitate the escape of liquidi'rom the tube althoughthe great- 25 er portion of the liquid will escape through the openbottom of the tube. Below the flange I3 and connected therewith andheldin spaced relation thereto by the bolts I5 is a cap I 8 closing theupper end of the inner cylindrical shell I'I, and 80 within the shelland spaced below Ithe cap is a guide plate I8 which is lconnected withthe cap by bolts 4I9 and is also held in the shell by a retaining ring20 engaged with the plate and the shell. The cap is provided centrallywith a bush- 35 ing 2I and the plate has a central opening 22 ior thepassage of a cable 23 carrying conductors which convey current to theseveral electrical elements which I am about to describe, said cableextending from a source of electrical 40 energy through the tube 5.

Within the inner shell, below the plate I8 is a plate 24 upon which issecured a frame 25 which supports a motor 26 for turning a rotary switchmember 21, said member being carried by the 45 motor shaft 28. The motorshaft is journaled in the frame 25 and the plate 24 and the rotaryswitch member 21 carries diametrically opposite brushes 29 lwhich engageand close circuits through quadrantally spaced contacts 30, 3|, 32 50and 33 mounted on the plate 24, and it may be noted at this point thatthe inner shell is filled with oil to a level above the switch inorder'to lubricate the switch and also transfer heat to the shell fromthe solenoids to be presently de- 55 ward movement of the corestructure, includingl scribed. n win also be understood that the switch'and motor may be located on the ground, at the top of hole.

The plate 24 is of insulation and rests on the upper closed end of abrass tube 34 which extends to the bottom of the inner shell Il.Suspended from the plate 24 by coiled springs 35 is a signal coil 38 thecore 31 of which is housed in the brass tube 34, and stops 38 dependfrom the plate'24 to arrest the upward movement of the coil and preventthe springs lifting it out of operative relation to the core. On theunder side oi' the shell of the coil 36 is a contact 39 which is adaptedat times to engage a fixed contact 40 on the top of the upper cap 4| ofa solenoid 42. Normally, the contacts 39, 40 are apart and the circuitto the signal 43 is broken. As the drilling progresses, the bit will beabove the bottom of the hole unless the shell be lowered to keep the bitin proper relation to the earth formation. When this condition existsand the blt is working free, the weight of the bit and the core carryingit', to which the core 31 is connected, causes a downf the core 31.Inasmuch, however, as the coil is always charged when the apparatus isoperating, the coil will follow the movement of the core downward andthus effect engagement of the contacts 39, 40 to close the signalcircuit, as will be understood upon reference to Figure which.4

figure also shows the coil to be receiving current from the main line.The signal is, oi' course, located at the mouth of the well and may be abell or a lamp. It will be active until the operator lowers the tubingto again bring the bit into contact with the earths formation whereuponthe signal circuit will be broken.

The cap 4| marks the upper end of a series of solenoids 42, 43, 44, 45which are iitted in the shell I1 around the brass tube 34, as shown, andthe inner solenoids 43, 44 being separated by an open space 45. The corefor the solenoids is housed in the brass tube 34 and consists of upperand lower iron rods 46 and 41 and an intervening short brass rod 48, abrass or non-magnetic rod 49 connecting the cores 46 and 31. At thelower end of the solenoid 41 is a short non-magnetic rod 50. Uponreferring to Figure 9, it will be noted that the contact 30 is incircuit with the solenoids 42 and 44, the contact 33 is in circuit withthe solenoids 43 and 45, and the contacts 3| and 32 are in the returnsides of the respective circuits. It will now be seen that as the rotor21 turns it will close a circuit through the contacts 30, 3| and throughthe contacts 32, 33 so that the alternate solenoids will be alternatelyenergized and the core will be reciprocated to lift the bit and then letit drop to cut into the soil formation. As many solenoids as desired maybe employed.

'I'he bottom cap 5| for the solenoids is rmly fastened to the bottom orlower end of the brass tube 34 and rests on a gasket 52 that rests onthe top end of a ring 53 which is screwed or welded in the lower end ofthe inner shell I1; the lower end of the ring being closed by a cap 54and bolts 55 being engaged in the caps 5|, 54 to secure the partstogether and rmly clamp the ring 53 in place. The non-magnetic member 50is connected to the core to move therewith and is provided with anannular flange 56 at its lower end, and

buffer springs 51, 58 above and below said angev cushion the respectivestrokes of the core when the drill is not hitting the bottom of thehole.

A stem 59 depends from the core through the cap 54 and through a freepiston 60 which is taosaaso ted in the lower end oi the outer shell andhas a central opening 6l of appreciably greater diameter than the stemwhich passes through it. Above the piston, a valve disk 62 is xed on thestem and the bit 63 is secured on the lower end of the stem, anexpansion spring 34 being coiled around the stem between and bearingagainst the -piston and the head of the stem. On the up stroke o1' thecore,"the piston will lag behind 'the valve, by reason of its frictionalengagement with the shell, and the valve will consequently uncover theopening 6|, permitting the liquid which may be in the shell to escape,as shown in Figure 4. On the down stroke, the valve will seat over theopening in the piston and the piston and valve will exert pressure onthe liquid below it so that the liquid will be forced up in the wellaround the outer shell to carry the cuttings to the bailer, aspreviously described. The free piston 60 and expansion spring 64 can beplaced above the valve disk 62 and then the liquid and cuttings will becirculated in the reverse direction. The cuttings will be dropped intothe bailer after leaving the top of the suspendingvtube E.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a verycompact mechanism by which an effective reciprocatory movement will beimparted to the blt and cuttings f-f. will be washed to and caught atthe upper end of the drill. The accumulated cuttings may be easilydischarged and, except for the discharge of the cuttings and loweringthe apparatus in the well, the operation is entirely automatic.

Having described my invention, what 'i' claim is: f

l. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, means atthe upper ends oi the shells for suspending them in spaced relation, abit below the outer shell, bit-reciprocating means in the inner shellincluding a stem depending through the outer shell and carrying the bit,a free piston in the outer shell around said stem, and a valve on thestem to establish and cut oif iiow through the piston.

2. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, a freepiston in the lower end of the outer shell having a central opening andhaving its margin in frictional engagement with the shell, a bit belowthe piston, bit-reciprocating means in the inner shell including a stempassing through the opening in the piston and carrying the bit, anexpansion spring between the piston and the bit, and a valve disk on thestem arranged to cover or uncover the opening in the piston. f

3. A well-drilling apparatus comprising inner and outer shells, a bitbelow the outer shell, a

` series of solenoids in the inner shell, a'core common to al1 ,thesolenoids and carrying the bit, means at the lower end of the innershell to cushion the strokes of the bit, a series of spaced contacts,the alternate contacts being in circuit with the similarly woundsolenoids, a rotary switch successively engaging the successive spacedcontacts, and a motor for driving said switch.

4. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a shell, a bit below the shell,electromagnetic means in the shell for operating the bit, a signal coilresiliently suspended i'n the shell, and a signal circuit controlled bysaid coil.

5. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube, a shelldepending from the tube and having a closed conical upper end, acylinder on aosasso the tube and having a iiared lower end fitting theconical upper end and restingthereon, cutting means carried by theshell, operating means for the cutting means and disposed within theshell, means at the lowerend of the shell to cause cuttings to be washedup through the well into the cylinder, and the latter being slidablymounted vertically to provide and close a discharge space between thelower end thereof and the closed conical upper end of the shell.

6'. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube, a conicalflange fixed on the tube near its lower end, an open ended bailercylinder slidably mounted vertically on the tube, a shell depending fromthe flange and having an inturned upper end following the shape of theflange and received thereby for cooperation therewith to close the upperend of the shell, said cylinder having a ared lower end shaped to iitsaid inturned upper en d and resting thereon, cutting means carried bythe shell, operating means for the cutting means and disposed within theshell, means at the lower end of the shell to cause cuttings to bewashed up through the well and into the cylinder, and the conical flangecausing discharge of the cuttings when the cylinder is raised on thetube.

7. A well-drilling apparatus comprising a suspended tube having openends, a bailer cylinder around the tube, inner and outer shellsdepending'from the tube, the ends of the inner shell being closed, theupper end of the outer shell being closed, a bit below the outer shell,bit operating means housed in the inner shell, cooperating piston andvalve means actuated by the bit operating means and disposed at thelower end of the outer shell for forcing cuttings through the well intothe bailer cylinder, and the latter t being slidably mounted verticallyto provide and close a discharge space `between the lower end of thebailer cylinder and the closed upper end of the outer shell.

FOREST R. STOLL.

